Barca v City Post Match Thread

[argyle]

Bit of an off topic post but what sort of footwear to our players chose?? It might be my one eyed viewing but how many of our players lost their footing compared to the Barca players!! Fernandinho being the prime example of this!

I've noticed that, not just during last nights match, this seems to happen to our players more than the opposition!

Lots mentioned it on here last night. Ridiculous how many times we are slipping.

 

[blueinsa]

Bit of an off topic post but what sort of footwear to our players chose?? It might be my one eyed viewing but how many of our players lost their footing compared to the Barca players!! Fernandinho being the prime example of this!

I've noticed that, not just during last nights match, this seems to happen to our players more than the opposition!

Its something very much within our control and agree, to be slipping over continuously can only mean you have incorrect boots on for the conditions and at this level its unforgivable.

 

[FCBarca]

I'd add that perhaps not conducting a proper run through on the Camp Nou pitch may have had something to do with it

 

[Eccles Blue]

It was happening last season as well, both home and away, you would have thought that someone in the hierarchy would have noticed it and done something about it by now.

 

[GaudinoMotors]

Have to content ourselves with the Joan Gamper - will be a while before we take anything else off Europes elite.
A lot of work, and culling to be done first. Gonna need a bigger contract (5 yrs)!

 

[BLUEMATT23]

Last night's result was typical European football. We were punished by individual mistakes, fair enough but we didn't take our chances and gave them far too much respect.

We need to learn some lessons and fucking quick.

We need to 'play the game'. We will only get on if we adopt the same principals as the other big clubs in Europe - we need to roll around like we've been stabbed up the jacksie for the simplest of fouls for a start.

We also need to get new boots that are capable of allowing us to play on European turf because our versions are shite, it wasn't just Fernandiho that was on his arse yesterday.

And Messi... best player in the world... for fuck's sake, I could be the best player in the world if everybody was scared shitless of tackling me.

We played really well for most of last night, had we been given the pen for handball at the end of the first half, had a number of other decissions gone our way it could have been very different. But we are where we are. To be honest I hate Champions League football with a passion. Give me the FA Cup any day!

We've been making mistakes in the CL for years, we never ever learn from the errors. I hate the CL with a passion.

 

[FCBarca]

For what it's worth, Barcelona players were slipping as well - just rarely in dangerous positions

 

[blueinsa]

This will go against every grain in my body but in Europe, you have to learn to play the ref. Game was close last night and for the majority of the first half we had Barca nullified so what do they do, they start to play the ref. feigning injury from nothing tackles that due to play acting look far worse and result in players getting cheap yellows. Its cheating but it gains them a sporting advantage and at this level, if you dont do the same you can forget winning the thing its that simple.

They will beat you with beautiful football or by any other means at their disposal its that simple and whilst we gifted them the game, just watch the first half about half way through and how all of a sudden the rolling around started and yellow cards started to be dished out and the effect it had on our players.

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

A little perspective on the game is needed.

We dominated them until the Bravo fart.

Sure, we had a Fernandinho slip that lead to a goal, but we immediately stuck to the plan and went right back at them. I'm convinced we had a win in us until Bravo did what he did.

Pep has to take a long hard look at himself over last night. He was right in so many things and wrong at the same time. Was the trade off of Joe not being able to pass from the back worth it?

I don't know. I probably agree that with Joe in last night we aren't in a position to take that game to Barca the way we were, but at the same time we would not have taken that beating as Joe wouldn't be in a position to get sent off.

Pep needs to do some soul searching and ask himself if the stubborn trade off didn't have room for compromise in his system, because last night it cost us and cost us big.

 

[OB1]

Patience is needed. It's early days. We were spoiled with amazing early form and results. Those have stagnated. We've still played some incredible football. We battered Everton and for the first ten/fifteen last night we were the better side and we looked excellent. We were playing the Barca way, finding pockets of space and it worked. We probably lacked a central target in Aguero but Pep clearly is struggling to get the balance right with Silva and/or De Bruyne. That's our biggest issue in an attacking sense. Two incredible talents that can play together against lesser teams but on nights like last night De Bruyne is pushed out wide to accommodate Silva centrally and allow Gundogan and Fernandinho to play.

It fell apart with stupid errors. We need to eradicate those but Rome wasn't built in a day. It will take time and we will become a more ruthless and efficient side. The result isn't a fair reflection but it is a wake up call. We need to get back to winning ways this weekend but if we play like we did at times last night we will.

Was KDB really pushed out wide? His average position for the game is close to the centre vertically; with Silva's just overlapping vertically. From 60 - 75 minutes KDB's average position is wider and he moved wide on some attacks but he and Silva both largely occupied the centre with Silva slightly deeper some of the time.